Yesterday's mail brought something unexpected: a "Dear Citizen"
letter addressed to "Mr. & Mrs. Kiewicz" from the USDA asking us
to survey our yard and neighborhood street trees for signs of
Asian longhorned beetles.

I don't know why this came selectively (not to 'occupant' at street
address), but the letter is Michigan specific.

I wonder if this survey effort was prompted by the "unusual and
widespread maple problems" being found locally this summer.
I remember that the Emerald Ash Borer infestation smouldered
for several years as an unknown "ash decline" so this campaign
to recruit citizen scouts for Asian Longhorned beetles may be a
particularly good idea (maple trees being #1 on the list of host
trees).

Anybody else get a letter from the USDA?

The USDA has a Beetle Buster's web-page he
http://beetlebusters.aphis.usda.gov/index.html

Article: 'Norway maples with wilting branches in Ann Arbor,
Plymouth and Canton' is he
http://www.ipm.msu.edu/cat09land/L07-10-09sm.pdf

Find the current MSU Landscape CAT newsletter he
http://ipmnews.msu.edu/landscape/

Here's hoping that there are no Asian longhorned beetles in
Michigan...
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

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